LONDON (Reuters) - Rebekah Brooks, a close confidante of Rupert Murdoch, was charged on Tuesday with interfering with a police investigation into a phone hacking scandal that has rocked the tycoon's media empire and sent shockwaves through the British political establishment.
Brooks, 43, was charged with concealing material from detectives, conspiring to remove boxes of archive records from Murdoch's London headquarters, and hiding documents, computers and other electronic equipment from the police. If found guilty she could face a prison sentence.
The charges are the first since police re-launched an investigation into alleged illegal practices at Murdoch's British newspapers following accusations the extent of wrongdoing had been covered up.
The news is a personal blow for the world's most powerful media boss and also embarrassing for British Prime Minister David Cameron, who was close friends with Brooks and sent her text messages of support when the alleged offences took place.
The action against Brooks comes as Murdoch is increasingly under fire in Britain. He has been forced to close one newspaper, withdraw a major takeover bid for a TV station and been described by a parliamentary committee report as someone who is not fit to run a major international company.
Murdoch's closeness to Brooks, instantly recognizable for her mane of flame-red hair, was highlighted last year, when the mogul flew into London to tackle the hacking scandal, put his arm around her and declared that she was his top priority.
"I have concluded ... there is sufficient evidence for there to be a realistic prospect of conviction," said Alison Levitt, Principal Legal Advisor to Britain's Director of Public Prosecutions in a rare televised statement.
"All these matters relate to the ongoing police investigation into allegations of phone hacking and corruption of public officials in relation to the News of the World and The Sun newspapers," Levitt said.
Also charged were Brooks's racehorse trainer husband Charlie Brooks, her secretary and other staff including her driver and security officials from News International, the British newspaper arm of Murdoch's News Corp media empire.
The maximum sentence for perverting the course of justice is theoretically a life prison term although such a lengthy sentence would be unlikely.
"We deplore this weak and unjust decision," Rebekah and Charlie Brooks, who was at school with Cameron at the exclusive Eton College, said in a statement.
Rebekah Brooks was on Tuesday being questioned at a London police station. There was no comment from Cameron's office.
SYMBOLIC
"This is a symbolic moment for British media and politics," Ivor Gaber, professor of political journalism at London's City University, told Reuters.
"This yet again raises questions about the prime minister's judgment, that he chose to associate both professionally and socially with somebody who is facing charges which could result in imprisonment."
The phone-hacking scandal first broke six years ago when the royal correspondent from the News of the World, a Sunday tabloid, and a private detective were arrested and later jailed for hacking the phones of aides to the royal family.
News International maintained the practice was limited to one rogue reporter until that defense crumbled last year as detectives reopened their investigation amid claims their initial probe had been insufficient.
About 160 officers are examining claims that journalists at the News of the World routinely hacked into the phones of hundreds of celebrities, politicians and victims of crime to generate front-page stories.
They are also investigating whether staff hacked into computers and made illegal payments to public officials, including the police, to get ahead in their reporting.
Almost 50 people have been arrested, with a tax official and a woman the latest to be held by detectives on Tuesday morning.
SAGA
The explosive saga has shone a light on close ties between the media, British politicians and the police, with Brooks one of the central characters.
Ministers who previously overtly courted Murdoch and the backing of his papers turned on the mogul last year, forcing the 81-year-old to withdraw a $12 billion bid for lucrative British pay TV group BSkyB.
Cameron admitted he had ridden a horse given to Brooks by the police in the company of her husband, which critics seized on as evidence as an overly cozy relationship. He also attended a Christmas party at the couple's house in 2010, at a time when the government was considering whether to approve the BSkyB deal.
Dubbed by some Murdoch's "fifth daughter", Brooks edited the News of the World from 2000 to 2003 and went on to become the first female editor of the Sun daily tabloid, Britain's most widely read newspaper, for six years. Murdoch closed the 168-year-old News of the World last year as a result of the scandal.
With her close links to the upper echelons of the British establishment including a string of prime ministers and senior police officers, Brooks was promoted to run Murdoch's British newspaper arm from 2009 to 2011.
Brooks had close ties with Cameron's predecessor as prime minister, Gordon Brown, whose wife Sarah hosted a 'pyjama party' in 2008 that was attended by Brooks and Murdoch's wife Wendi and daughter Elisabeth.
But Brooks was forced to stand down last July under a tide of revelations about phone hacking, and was arrested two days later over allegations of interception of communications, and corruption.
She was detained again in March this year, along with her husband, over the allegations relating to perverting the course of justice. Detectives have not concluded their investigations into the other potential offences.
During day-long questioning at a public inquiry into media ethics last week, Brooks said that she and Cameron had frequently exchanged text messages and would occasionally sign them off "LOL", by which he meant "lots of love".
Cameron is already facing questions over why he hired Andy Coulson, Brooks's successor as News of the World editor, as his media chief. Coulson, who quit that role in January 2011, is amongst those to have been arrested.
"My wish is that the police had done a proper investigation right back in the beginning, because then all of this could have been done and dusted ages ago," said Chris Bryant, an opposition lawmaker and one of the hacking victims.
"I fear the prime minister will have some questions to answer about the kind of company he has been keeping," he told Reuters.
The others charged on Tuesday were Cheryl Carter, Brooks's personal assistant, Mark Hanna, the Head of Security at News International, Paul Edwards, her chauffeur, and Daryl Jorsling, who provided security for Brooks.
(Additional reporting by Tim Castle and Clare Kane; Editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Giles Elgood)
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